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Alarming find in Georgetown Prisons…Shotgun cartridges smuggled in boots to ‘terror gang’ accused

Dec 24, 2013 News

 
Prison officials appear to have foiled a plot to smuggle ammunition to a high-profile inmate accused of committing acts of terror against the state.
The plot was reportedly unearthed around 11:25 hrs yesterday after a warder at the Georgetown Prisons found two 12-gauge shotgun cartridges stashed in a pair of Nike sneakers that a civilian, Kellon Benjamin, had brought for his cousin, Anthony Watson.
Watson is one of the inmates accused of the November 4, 2009 arson attempt at the Supreme Court and of the murder of a civilian. He has been on remand since December 2010.
Police sources allege that the cousin, Kellon Benjamin, took some clothing and a pair of Nike boots yesterday to the prison for Watson. However, during a routine search of the items, a prison officer found the two cartridges stashed in one of the boots. He alerted his superiors and Benjamin was taken into police custody.
Kaieteur News understands that Benjamin told investigators that he works in the interior with a group of Brazilians who use shotguns, and he has no idea how the cartridges ended up in the boots.
The discovery of the ammunition has sparked fears that a weapon may have already been smuggled into the prison. Up to late yesterday evening, the entire prison population was on ‘lockdown,’ while police and prison officials scoured the premises.
Prison officials have intensified their searches in the country’s main penitentiary since the infamous Mash Day jailbreak that escalated into countrywide violence.
In late 2001, prison authorities had reportedly found a few rounds of ammunition in the Camp Street jail, but never located a firearm. But on February, 2002, five dangerous prisoners shot their way out of the penitentiary, killing one prison officer and severely wounding prison officer Roxanne Whinfield.
Alleged ‘terror’ suspect Anthony Watson is believed to be part of a gang that investigators have linked to the July 2009 destruction of the Ministry of Health headquarters and a spate of other attacks.
It is also alleged that on November 4, 2009, Watson, along with Basil Morgan and others, with the intent to murder, discharged a loaded firearm at Constable Carl Marks.
Another charge stated that the two men, on the same day, with the intent to murder, discharged a loaded firearm at Clayton Westford, who is charged with setting fire to Ministry of Health headquarters in July, 2009. These two charges have since been dropped.
Watson and Morgan were also charged with duct-taping Shawn Embelton with the intent to murder him, and with the murder of Wodette Roberts.
The duo was also accused of setting fire to the Supreme Court building on November 4, 2009. Another accused, Colin Jones, is already serving an eight-year sentence for a number of serious offences. He is accused of killing his accomplices, Kurt Thierens and Adriano Tracey, along with being accused of possession of arms and ammunition, escape from lawful custody and planting marijuana.
He was also jointly charged with Randy Mars and Jafar Simpson for arson committed at the Supreme Court building.

 

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